Steve McClaren has felt the heat from intense dislike and been hurt by indifference but on a rainy afternoon in the southern Netherlands he finally basked in wholesale adoration today.

If England fans still bear grudges and Middlesbrough supporters remain inexplicably cool, "McClarenism" is all the rage in this corner of Europe after the Yorkshireman led FC Twente to the Dutch title for the first time in their modern history.

There could not have been a better birthday present for a seemingly reborn manager who is 49 . "Only one Steve McClaren," chanted the away support following his side's 2-0 win at NAC Breda which meant Twente finished a point ahead of Martin Jol's richly resourced Ajax. As the victorious manager faced suffocation by bear hug at the final whistle a giant banner proclaiming "What we do today echoes in eternity" was unfurled at the away end.

It proved no exaggeration. McClaren, whose oxygen supply was finally reconnected when Twente's jubilant players hoisted him on to their shoulders, reasonably likened the achievement to "Blackburn winning the Premier League in 1995 – only without Jack Walker's money". Small wonder his chairman, Joop Munsterman, says that a manager likely to be widely courted this summer is "as important to Enschede as Eric Cantona was to Manchester United".

The first Englishman to win a major European league title since Sir Bobby Robson at Porto in 1996 has reinvented himself in startling fashion. The only shame was that Robson, who urged the former England and Middlesbrough manager to take the job and advised him against employing English assistants, was not around to share his joy. "I hope Bobby's looking down," said McClaren. "He told me to come here and to come alone. He told me I'd love it. I know he'd be pleased and proud."

So is his post-England rehabilitation complete? "People keep saying I've been in rehab," he said. "I've never taken drugs but I might have a drink problem in the next few days."

Such self-deprecatory jokes were mixed with justifiable pride. "People say that to achieve this with Twente is a miracle but it's more than a miracle," he said. "I must admit I'm pretty pleased with myself."

The rain recalled that awful night against Croatia when England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 but this time there was no wally with the brolly. Determined not to be captured on camera beneath an umbrella McClaren spent the opening stages sitting quietly in his dug-out making copious notes. It took a while for him to emerge from the protection afforded by its Perspex roof but, when he did, it was to berate match officials before kicking some iron railings in frustration.

Regarded as "a gentleman" in the Netherlands, McClaren enjoys a reputation for rarely challenging referees, let alone losing his cool, but the tension of a title-race decider tested such equilibrium. "There was a lot of pressure," he acknowledged.

Unfortunately similar stress appeared to be afflicting his forwards. Despite Twente enjoying a ridiculous amount of possession against hosts challenging for a Europa League place, those strikers spurned several straightforward opportunities, a couple from six yards.

Breda, though, proved most obliging hosts and, during the first half, went down to 10 men when Csaba Feher was sent off for a reckless tackle. From the fall-out following the ensuing free-kick Twente pounced and Bryan Ruiz, their Costa Rican leading scorer who was an inspired McClaren signing from Ghent last summer, stroked the ball into the corner.

As Ruiz was submerged beneath a mound of celebrating team-mates, his manager was acutely aware Ajax were winning at NEC. He appeared emotionless, rising to his feet only to issue the "calm down" managerial hand signal.

Twente should have clinched it before the interval but Blaise N'Kufo missed another sitter, leaving McClaren – who twice thumped the dug-out roof with a fist he later confessed was "sore" – with head in hands. "I went crazy at half-time," he said. Eventually Miroslav Stoch, borrowed from Chelsea, created a two-goal cushion, after cutting in from the left and assuaging the visitors' anxieties with an angled finish. In a swipe of a boot the lingering pain of one man's ignominious England experience was gloriously erased. "My first emotion was relief," said McClaren. "But I've always said failures in life make you stronger."

So where might his extraordinary road to redemption wend next? "This is not the time to talk about the future," he replied, conscious that Hamburg, Sporting, Wolfsburg and West Ham covet him. "I just want to enjoy the moment.